Fate Beyond Hearts
by jamblute
Summary: Set before KH 358/2, Demyx is still in training under various members for recon, and Zexion was sent with him to scout ahead on The Land of Dragons. What he doesn't anticipate was learning more about himself and his future than the very world he was sent to investigate. [Story cover is official KH3 art.]


The corridor came out on a wooded path dotted with large rocks and tall grass. Zexion read plenty in the past life and this one, so he had expected as much from The Land of Dragons.

"Hey, uh," Demyx started up with his usual preface of needless words as his mouth caught up to his mind. After instructing him in recon over several assignments, Zexion had grown accustomed to the musical member's many quirks. "What kinda trees are these? They're like grass but sticks but trees."

Giving his attention to the woods, Zexion examined them briefly. "I don't recognize every species," he explained, knowing there were others than what we would or could mention. Turning to Demyx, he continued. "But I believe you mean the bamboo trees."

And as his gaze turned to the blond, he caught sight of a thin red cord. It was only for a moment, and the thread was gone when he simply looked. And yet... He did see it. Reversing his magic, Zexion tried to look through any illusions in place around Demyx or himself only to have the red string reappear.

It hung in a way that betrayed physics, almost appearing to float between its two anchors: one little finger on Demyx and Zexion respectively.

"Umm, whatcha looking at?" Demyx interrupted his thoughts. Zexion dropped the magic from his view and the string disappeared. "There's a big monster behind me, huh?"

Zexion smirked. So he couldn't see it. That made sense, given that his ability didn't lend itself to seeing what was hidden. That made it all that much easier to mislead him and avoid questions that Zexion had no answers for—yet. "Maybe."

And he turned around to continue down the path. After a small, nervous whine, Demyx followed a few paces behind. He was taller with a longer stride and easily could've gone ahead, but that would be work and his laziness was legendary.

...perhaps during their reconnaissance, Zexion might gain more information on this thread.

They gathered their data largely unnoticed, though Demyx was markedly less subtle about it... Zexion couldn't deny that he at least got results even if he didn't report on his findings properly.

"This world is threatened by war," Zexion remarked out loud as he retraced their original path with Demyx. Thinking aloud was an old habit from his last life, one he'd yet to shed—to his own chagrin. "Heartless are sure to follow."

Soon, this world would be a prime location for the dark power those creatures could offer the Organization. Xigbar would likely be sent in that case to recruit anything or anyone of value to their efforts. Though this did nothing to solve the red thread mystery, and it was irritating Zexion to even consider that they would RTC with that unresolved. And yet, he would sooner fade away than entrust Xigbar with that information.

"Super tough Heartless," Demyx agreed. "Hope they don't send me here when stuff goes down."

Zexion sighed. Truthfully, he would be good in the field of he wasn't... Himself. "What makes you say they would be tough?"

"The people," he answered matter-of-factly. Zexion found that simply asking Demyx what he thought cut out most of the floundering and sputtering other members faced from him. "Gathering up their stuff, you can tell they're used to fighting, and they got a culture packed with all kindsa gods and beasties."

Glancing to him, Zexion finally started to take visual stock of what Demyx picked up. His arms were full of hastily wrapped up finger foods (entirely useless to the Organization) and some children's toys and books that added only slightly more credibility to his work today.

In that these items were often designed to demonstrate the foundation of a world's culture in an easily understood format, it would aid the next members assigned here in understanding how to navigate their society. Though this was undoubtedly not Demyx's intent.

And still trailing between them was the mystical thread—almost as a mockery at this point in their mission.

"Plenty for Heartless to draw on," Demyx whined, unaware he was being studied so closely. "So it's gonna be a huge mess. Here, listen," was the only warning he gave before jostling everything around in his arms to get to one of the books.

"The red string of fate," he mused aloud. One he hadn't read yet, then. "Huh. Where destinies meet," Demyx started reading in a lilting tone reserved for material he actually wanted to look over, "an invisible red cord shall be tied by the gods."

Demyx continued undaunted by the sudden tension in Zexion's body language. If indeed, he noticed at all. He was a scientist, and Zexion believed in neither gods nor destiny. But he listened intently, incredulous that it would be Demyx who found the answers he was after while still in his training phase.

"Those found in the embrace of a single thread shall embrace one another as decided by fate, buh buh buh," the musician trailed off to skim for something that interested him more. "Destiny shall guide them to unite as they are bound by true love. Whoa."

"Definitely matters of the heart," Zexion forced himself to answer levelly. And of course it worked—illusion was his specialty in more ways than one.

"Whatcha make of it, Zex?"

He sighed, turning to Number IX and catching the glimpse of the red string once again. It could not be. Even if it was the case and their match was inevitable...

"A meaningless legend, no doubt," he dismissed. "Though one they must hold in high regard." He examined Demyx one last time to be certain that, yes, the string between them was truly there. At the castle, it would disappear again and he could eventually forget this... Though he knew he wouldn't. "Are we ready to return now?"

"Uhh, guess so. I'm all set, anyway."

"Let's see it, then." Demyx was nearly done his supervised training and would soon go on recon alone. All the better for Zexion. He did not believe in fate. "You won't always have someone to call on a corridor for you," he teased as a distraction from the situation in his mind.

"Yeah, yeah," the musician sighed, reaching out to help himself focus and amazingly dropping nothing. After a few seconds, the corridor swirled open. "Ha! Got it."

"Not bad," Zexion conceded. "But you will want to improve your speed. In an emergency, a hasty retreat may be your only option." Without waiting, he went ahead to the castle to the fading sound of Demyx spluttering about what kind of emergency that might be.


End file.
